Highway marker



Oct. 1, 1935. J, M, MILLER 2,015,721

HIGHWAY MARKER Filed Oct. 14, 1953 It? @QQ Q- I w I IZ/Yiller Patented Oct. 1, 1935 PATENT OFFICE HIGHWAY MARKER James M. Miller, Kiowa, Kans., assignor to The Daynite Highway Marker 00., Kiowa, Kans., a

corporation of Kansas I Application October 14, 1933, Serial No. 693,635

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in signs and pertains particularly to an improved highway marker.

The primary object of the present invention is 5 to provide a highway marker and sign of new and novel construction whereby the manufacture of the parts and assembly of the same maybe easily and economically accomplished. I Another object of the invention is to provide a novel type of highway marker having in combination a novel means for designating a route or giving other highway information and a novel means of attracting the attention of a motorist thereto, particularly at night. 15 Another object of the invention is to provide a novel indicia displaying means.

Still another object is to provide a novel construction of reflecting means whereby the sign will be illuminated from the headlamps of a 20 meg? vehicle when approached by the vehicle at nig The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawing but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifica- 30 tlons mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of one side 35 of a sign constructed in accordance with the present invention; A

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same taken upon the line 2--2 of Figure 1;

-Figure 3 is a view inelevation of an element of the sign which is not disclosed in association with the structure as presented in Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4 is a view in edge elevation of a sign employing light reflecting means upon each of its 45 tWO faces.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing wherein like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral I indicates a back plate for the sign embodying the present invention, which is preferably of sheet metal of suitable weight, and which is provided with apertures 2 adjacent its ends for facilitating its attachment to a post or other supporting body.

55 Disposed against one face of the plate I is a brilliant or reflector element carrying shell, which is indicated as a whole by the numeral 3, and which is also formed of sheet metal and comprises the front wall 4 which merges throughout its edge with the laterally extending surrounding flange wall 5. The Wall 5 at the lower end of the shell is extended downwardly to form the lip 6 which positions against the plate I and is secured thereto by means of rivets or bolts 1.

At the longitudinal side, the wall 5 of the shell 10 3, has the return tongue 8 which engages against the opposite or back face of the plate I when the plate is in position thereagainst and thus forms a channel longitudinally of and at opposite sides of the shell into which the edges of the plate I may slide.

The wall 6 of the shell 3 is provided with a plurality of apertures 9, into which are fitted the sleeves I II, which have their inner ends in the plane of the inner edge of the wall 5 and back face of the lip 6, so that when the shell 3 is disposed against the plate I, these sleeves will also abut thereagainst.

Mounted in each of the sleeves I0 is a short cylindrical glass body II, the inner and outer ends of which are spherical, as indicated at I2, and the outer end is disposed beyond the outer or forward end of the sleeve in the manner illustrated in Figure 2.

Above the glass body II and the shell 3 there is disposed against the face of the plate I the vertically and transversely corrugated polished plate I3. This plate is preferably polished aluminum and by placing the vertical and transverse corrugations therein it is formed into a plurality of reflecting prisms.

Disposed in front of the reflecting plate I3 is a sheet I 4 of transparent or semi-transparent material, such as celluloid or the like, and overlying this is the outer plate I5, which is of metal and which is stenciled, as indicated at I6, to form certain desired characters.

This outer plate I5, in addition to forming a stencil, constitutes a means for holding the other elements in place and in addition to being secured by bolts or rivets I! which pass through to the back or base plate I, it has the inwardly extending top and side walls I8 which contact the adjacent edges of the back plate I and which merge with inturned tongues I9 which frictionally engage the rear surface of the plate I. From this it will be readily apparent that the cover and retaining plate I5 may be placed in position by sliding it down over the forward face of the transparent body I 4 with the inturned or return bent tongue l9 engaging the back surface of the base plate.

The structure thus far described is designed to be mounted upon any suitable support soas to be visible to an approaching motorist and it is desired that the surface of the parts which is presented to the approaching motorist be painted or otherwise colored green. It is also contemplated to employ the foregoing structure with the light reflecting unit, which is indicated as a whole by the numeral 311, secured to the back of the plate I and colored red. This unit 3!; is of exactly the same construction as the unit 3 with the exception that the top end thereof is provided with the lip 20 by means of which it may be secured by suitable means to the supporting base plate.

Figure 4 shows in edge elevation, the use of the reflecting glass holding units 3 and 3a upon the opposite faces of a supporting standard, which is indicated generally by the numeral 2| and there is also shown in association with this structure upon one side of the supporting standard 2! the indicia bearing portion of the sign which is characterized by the parts indicated in Figure 2 by the numerals 13 to 19 inclusive.

In the general use of the present sign structure it is preferred to have the same constructed as illustrated in Figure 4, with the unit 3 arranged to face approaching traflic on the side of the road nearest thereto. As this side of the structure will be colored green, it will be positioned to face the line of traffic on the right side of the highway and the opposite or red danger indicating signal will be on the left side of the highway to the traflic travelling in the opposite direction. As there will be two of these signals used to mark'a hazard in the road, the party travelling in the opposite direction will approach a green signal on his right side and the back of the signal which he faces, and which is red, will be to the left of the party approaching his signal.

The present signal is so designed that it will be fully visible in the daylight and also at night as the light rays from the headlights of an approaching vehicle will be reflected from the prismatic surface of the plate l3 throughthe stencil openings of the plate l5, so as to sharply deflne the characters displayed and the attention of the motorist will be quickly. drawn to this signal by having the light rays of his motor vehicle more brilliantly reflected from the glass .refiecting bodies l2 which are massed beneath the indicia.

What is claimed is:

1. A sign comprising a supporting base plate, a signal body having opposed side channels slidably receiving the edges of said base plate, a light reflecting element disposed before said base plate above said body, a stencil plate overlying said element, and means slidably connecting the stencil plate with the flrst mentioned plate, said stencil plate resting upon said body.

2. A highway sign, comprising a base plate, a 20 prismatic reflecting body disposed over a portion of one face of the base plate, a transparent protecting covering for said body, a stencil plate overlying the transparent covering and reflecting plate, and a flange formed along the side edges and the top of said stencil plate and extending across the adjacent edges of the back plate and terminating in a return bent tongue slidably contacting the opposite or the back surface of the base plate.

3. In a marker of the character described, a plate constituting a back, means overlying said plate on one side for reflecting and diffusing rays of a light beam falling thereon, a translucent body overlying said means, and a stenciled plate overlying said translucent body and having a flange projecting from the major portion of the edge thereof and extending across adjacent edges of the translucent body, the reflecting means and the back plate, said flange terminating in an in- 40 turned portion paralleling the stenciled plate and engaging the side of the back plate opposite the reflecting means.

JAMES M. MILLER; 

